Housing

Home & Garden Show Not Discouraged By Slow Economy

(WCCO) Midwest Home magazine has taken over the Minneapolis Convention Center. It's the magazine's 18th annual Fall Home & Garden Show.

You can find everything from siding, to windows, to bathtubs at the show. It runs this weekend only at the Convention Center.

The people who spoke to WCCO-TV said homeowners are interested in improving their properties, in spite of tough economic times.

"People are in these rooms all the time, and so it's almost like being on vacation," said Laurice Wade with Patio Enclosures.

With real estate values fluctuating and the economy in turmoil, many people are thinking there's no place like home: the one they already have. Patio Enclosures is willing to sell them a little extra elbow room.

"Maybe they've found that they're not going to move to another home. They want to put some money into their homes, and so that works great," said Wade.

There are also people at the show selling things that might pay for themselves with energy savings, like foam insulation that dries without expanding.

"This is a pretty new product. Will not settle, won't shrink, it's fire retardant, your house will be 75 percent quieter, no fumes, no gases," said Don Kropidlowski with Retro Foam Insulation.

Gardens are also an important way to improve an existing house. One example features a fountain and a fireplace.

"People are not traveling quite as much. They are tending to put a little bit more into their backyards. We've heard that from people. They've said, 'Hey, we want to be able to come out and be like on vacation,' right in their own back yard," said Nick Pickert with Pepperbury Gardens.

The Midwest Fall Home & Garden Show runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets for adults are $8 at the door, or $6 if you buy them ahead of time at Cub Foods. Children six-to-12 pay $3. Children younger than six get in free.

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